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Photos: Rubber Duck Race fundraiser makes a splash

CARRIE MILLER PHOTO | 18-month-old Julianna Elefonte cheers on as the ducks near the finish line.
CARRIE MILLER PHOTO | 18-month-old Julianna Elefonte cheers on as the ducks near the finish line.

More than 100 people attended Flanders’ first ever Rubber Duck Race Saturday afternoon to help benefit the iconic Big Duck property.


Organized by Friends of the Big Duck, 427 bright rubber ducks were sold for $5 each with all proceeds going toward restoring a barn on the Flanders property. It will be made into a duck farming museum dedicated to the area’s early farmers.

The crowd cheered as the ducks were dropped into Flanders Bay. The ducks drifted more than 100 feet to the finish line from the bay’s gentle current.

Members of the Riverhead High School crew team helped catch the winning ducks, transporting them to a nearby dock so the winners could be called out.

While the first five winning ducks’ owners were not in attendance – there was also a prize for the last little duck, going to Colleen Franco of Manorville. The winner received $200. The last-place winner earned a Riverhead Auto Wash gift certificate.

Children enjoyed ice cream as they watched the ducks float by. In all, the race took about 10 minutes.

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